Category: Job Search

Well, Ted from the IMB called me yesterday. IT wants to interview me for the programmer position. So, this makes the second interview I've had with them.

For everyone out there praying, remember, Cyndi and I want to do what God wants…not what we want. So, pray for His will to be done in this situation. Also pray that He will reveal His will to us so we can do the right thing. Thanks for your prayers thus far!

Well, I had my initial interview today with the International Mission Board. Ted called me today at 9am just like he said he would. Most of the interview was your standard "HR" type questions: How do you work well with others, give me an example of sometime you did something really good, really bad, etc….

I got to ask him some questions. All, this job would be an answer to prayer if it is God's will. The work environment benefits, mission opportunities, etc…. So, if you are praying, pray that God's will be done. Pray that He will reveal His will to us. Pray that we will be sensitive to His will. Pray that we will do what He wants. Even thought this job would be awesome, it would be more awesome to do what God wants…to be in the center of His will. I will keep everyone posted.

For all of you keeping up on my current job situation, you know I applied for a job with the International Mission Board. Well, Friday when I got home, I had an e-mail from a gentleman at the IMB wanting to do a telephone interview! It will be Tuesday morning (I'm still waiting for final confirmation of the time).

Please pray that God's will will be done and that I will represent Him well in this interview.

Well, I have applied for a job with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They had one opening that fit me very well (it was a programmer position), and another that would be a good entrance into the organization–it was called a Business Process Analyst. This has me very exited. Imagine working for a group that sends missionaries all over the world!

I also talked to my pastor last night about what Cyndi and I are going through. I went primarily to see what he would want to know before allowing us to be presented to the church for their “sending”. Basically, the answer was all he needed to see was evidence of al “call”. What this means is that we would say something like “Pastor Kent, we believe God is calling us to do X” and that would be sufficient. We also talked a little about the situation, etc…. Basically, what came out of it was that we are doing what we should be doing now. We are availble for God to use us. We are looking for opportunities. We are seeking God and what he wants.

To all who are praying out there, THANK YOU. Please continue to pray that God would show us where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do. Pray that His will would be done. Pray that God would continue to draw us closer to him.

On the NiSource front, we don’t know anything more yet. We just know they are “looking” at outsourcing. According to the timeline they gave to us, the 2 outsourcers should have their RFP responses back to the company shortly (well, the timeline has this happening starting now and going through mid-April). Then, NiSource will review them and decide what to do by mid-May.

[Update 2012-12-26 14:51:06] I had the IMB link wrong (either that, or they used to also have imb.net too)

Well, I decided to have my resume professionally written. At the recomendation of a coworker, I went to Janice Worthington. She is a ball of fire. Her resumes look great. She has over 30 years experience in the field, so she has the history to make this thing look good. She offers other services too (interview coaching, resume distribution, etc…). She is sending me a questionare to fill out so she has the information to put in the resume. Once that is done, I should have my resume in a week or two.

Last night, I sent out the following e-mail to several people with the North American Mission Board:

My name is Matthew Maxson, and I have a vision I would like to share with you. However, before I delve deeply into the main point of this email, I would like to take a few minutes of your time and tell you more about myself. I was born in 1977 and was saved as a young boy in 1984 in Beeville, Texas. My dad was in the military: we have lived many places. In 1986, my dad got out of the service and we moved to Missouri. In 1993, we moved to Williamstown, West Virginia. I attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where I met my wife. We were married in January 1999, and I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science in May 2000. I went to work for Columbia Gas Transmission in June. Later that year, NiSource purchased the Columbia Energy Group. In October 2002, NiSource restructured the IT department and transferred us to Columbus. In my nearly five years at Columbia/NiSource, I have been involved in several different arenas and projects. My activities at NiSource have made me more aware of the technology available in the market, the different applications of these technologies, the use of computer consultants, and the cost and quality of these services. Currently, NiSource is evaluating outsourcing IT along with other corporate functions such as Human Resources, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain, etc.. This has caused my wife and me to evaluate God's "next steps" for our life.

The Church should use any and all tools available to them in order to reach the lost and fulfill the Great Commission. I see The Church missing out on a great opportunity to use technology as a method of spreading the Gospel. Why? I do not think it is because they don't care about reaching those people.I think it is because of ignorance, fear of technology, and cost. Most people are either ignorant of the technology available or are too intimidated to try anything beyond their comfort zone of e-mail and web browsing. In a traditional company, when the employees do not have the knowledge or time to implement a solution, consultants are brought in. I have seen NiSource pay $200 per hour for consultants and think nothing of it. NiSource is among the Fortune 500 and can afford that kind of payout; however, in the average congregation, it is utterly impossible to pay $200 per day or even per week to a consultant for help with a piece of technology.

In 2001, I started Christian Computer Solutions to help churches with this problem. My goal was to provide technical consulting to congregations at a price much lower than secular consultants. At that time, my vision was to provide a way for a congregation to get help with technology at a reasonable price. However, as time went on, God matured my vision. I kept wishing that there was something more I could do to help The Church use technology to reach the lost. After we moved to Columbus, this feeling only intensified. I met with my pastor, Dr. Kent Spann, to discuss my feelings and to get more information about God's call on people's lives. At the meeting, I shared my vision with Dr. Spann and he offered several suggestions. One of which was writing a letter to the Executive Director of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio. I wrote and mailed a letter, but having received no response to date, I have decided to share my vision with others-thus, this letter. Since then, I have shared this vision with Dr. Rich Halcombe (the MetroColumbus Baptist Association Director of Missions). He is excited about my vision, but the local association does not currently have the funds to implement it. This lack of funding has lead me to discover the Mission Service Corps. I found your contact information searching on the NAMB website.

My vision is this: Imagine a congregation (or missionary or other Southern Baptist group) that needs help with some piece of technology. It does not really matter what, it could be anything from how to bold text in Microsoft Word, to setting up an office network, to needing an application to track membership and giving to setting up a web page where sermons and other helps could be made available to anyone, anywhere. This is a service provided to them by the giving of others-either through the financial support of other Christians and the fees paid by those organizations who are able to pay. This opportunity will help them use technology as one "fishing lure" in a tackle-box of lures used to fish for men and fulfill the Great Commission. I hope this excites you as much as it does me!

I believe that God gives everyone in The Church different abilities and gifts. My knowledge of and ability to understand technology combined with my desire to help allow me to meet a need within The Church. God is calling me to utilize my technical abilities and desire to help to provide services to our churches. I would be most willing to meet with you, or your representative, to discuss these possibilities and how Mission Service Corps can help me fulfill my vision. Thank you for your time, this opportunity, and consideration of my proposal. You can reach me via telephone at 614.789.9333 (h) or 614.439.4620 (c), or via e-mail at matt@techs4jesus.com.

Well, guess what?! One of the gentlemen I sent it to called me last night about ten minutes after I sent the e-mail! We had a good conversation. He gave me some additional contacts at the NAMB. I still don't know much more than I did a few days ago; however, I am making progress. Please be in prayer with Cyndi and I that we are seeking God's will and doing what He wants. It doesn't really matter what we are doing…the biggest joy and satisfaction will come from being in the center of His will.